My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Using the remaining light, Yang Huai looked down at the city and recognized Zhang Song.

This official in Sichuan appeared so flustered at this moment.

Suspicion returned to Yang Huai's eyes, and doubts surged in his heart like a tide.

Shouldn't Zhang Song be in the Han camp as a guide at this time?

He should have been by Wei Yan's side, guiding the Han army into Shu. Why did he suddenly come to Baiguan City?
"Prefect Zhang, why have you suddenly come to Baiguan?"

Yang Huai questioned loudly, his voice tinged with wariness.

He needed Zhang Song to provide a reasonable explanation; otherwise, he would never open the city gates so easily.

Zhang Song said in a deep voice, his tone carrying an undeniable firmness:
"I'm here to save your life! If you don't open the door, you're going to die!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Huai's expression changed.

Zhang Song is not one to speak carelessly; if he said so, there must be a serious hidden story behind it.

But Yang Huai was a seasoned general who would not be easily swayed by Zhang Song's words.

He stared intently at Zhang Song, trying to find more clues from his expression and words, while quickly thinking of a solution.

Good heavens, Zhang Song's words sent chills down the spines of everyone present.

The sense of crisis conveyed in his words was like an icy tide, instantly engulfing everyone and sending chills down their spines.

Upon hearing this, Yang Huai's heart clenched, as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

Without a second thought, he hurriedly and frantically ordered the soldiers guarding the city to slowly open the city gates.

The creaking sound of the city gate opening.

Zhang Song entered the city in a hurry, his steps hurried, looking as if a thousand troops were chasing him.

At the same time, Yang Huai disregarded the situation on the city wall and rushed down from the city wall in a panic.

"Prefect Zhang, what exactly is going on?"

Upon seeing Zhang Song, Yang Huai couldn't wait to ask:
Why did you suddenly say I was doomed?

His voice trembled slightly with nervousness.

Zhang Song did not answer immediately, but instead, with a solemn expression, he pulled Yang Huai and hurriedly went up to the city wall.

Once atop the city wall, he decisively waved his hand, dismissing all the soldiers around him, and then carefully closed the door.

The heavy door slammed shut.

As Yang Huai watched Zhang Song's actions, his unease grew rapidly.

He frowned, staring intently at Zhang Song, waiting for his explanation.

Do you know why Wei Yan has been lingering outside the city for several days without making a move?

Zhang Song lowered his voice, as if it were being squeezed out from between his teeth, and his eyes scanned his surroundings warily, as if worried that someone might be overheard.

Upon hearing this, Yang Huai shook his head slightly, his face full of confusion:

"I'm also very puzzled by this matter. What exactly is Wei Yan up to? Could it be..."

His voice stopped abruptly, a look of terror flashing in his eyes, as if he had already guessed something terrible.

"you guessed right!"

Zhang Song nodded emphatically:

"Wei Yan wants to attack my Baiguan City! This is not a lie, but an absolute fact!"

These words struck Yang Huai like a bolt from the blue.

Yang Huai's face changed instantly, turning ashen white as paper, as if all the blood had been drained from him.

His eyes widened as he stared at Zhang Song in disbelief, his voice trembling as he said:

"Why do you say this, Prefect Zhang? Is this news reliable?"

Zhang Song took a deep breath and slowly said:

"In fact, I have already bribed many Han soldiers in the Han camp to act as my spies. Yesterday, I learned a crucial piece of information: Wei Yan is cutting down trees in the northern mountains to build siege ladders and catapults day and night."

"Once these siege weapons are completed, he will not hesitate to launch an attack on our Baiguan City!"

Yang Huai's face paled in horror, as if he could see a catastrophe rushing toward Baiguan City.

Unable to contain his anxiety any longer, he leaped up and charged out the door like a maddened beast.

Only one thought remained in my mind:
He crouched down by the city wall to get a clear view of the current situation of the Han camp and figure out what Wei Yan was up to.

"There's no need to look. I told you that Wei Yan secretly sent troops to build siege equipment in the mountains. Even if you go to the city wall, you won't see anything."

Zhang Song reacted quickly and pulled Yang Huai back.

Yang Huai stumbled as he was pulled, almost falling to the ground.

Yang Huai steadied himself and cursed through gritted teeth:
"Well, Huang Quan and the others were right after all. Liu Bei really does have ulterior motives. Under the pretext of attacking Jiaozhou, he crossed the natural barriers of the gorges and attempted to launch a surprise attack on Baiguan City, and then swallow up our Shu territory!"

Zhang Song nodded silently, which was taken as tacit agreement with Yang Huai's statement.

Yang Huai grew angrier the more he thought about it, and couldn't help but complain:

“I say, Zhang Biejia, it’s obvious that Liu Bei has wolfish ambitions and intends to swallow up Shu. Why did you still invite Wei Yan to Shu?”

"Aren't you trying to push the King of Shu into a fire pit and kill him?"

His voice grew louder and louder, and his emotions became more and more agitated, as if he wanted to vent all the anger in his heart.

Zhang Song sighed helplessly, a look of shame appearing on his face, and said in a low voice:
"We had good intentions at the time, wanting to help the King of Shu resist Cao Cao's attack and keep the peace of Shu. But we never expected that we would invite a wolf into the house and make such a big mistake."

"We've all been fooled by that old fox Liu Bei!"

Looking at Zhang Song's self-reproachful expression, Yang Huai, though still resentful, couldn't help but sigh.

After all, Zhang Song's official rank was higher than his own, and since Zhang Song had already admitted his mistake, he couldn't criticize him unjustly.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself down and said:

"Fortunately, Prefect Zhang discovered it in time. I will now order the entire city to be on high alert and have the soldiers prepare for battle."

"At the same time, Zhang Biejia, go and inform the King of Shu to request reinforcements for Baiguan City. As long as the reinforcements can arrive within seven days, I am confident that Baiguan City will not fall."

Yang Huai was so confident because he knew that there were still several thousand elite Shu troops in the city.

These soldiers are all highly skilled, and their fighting power should not be underestimated.

Moreover, Baiguan City itself is a fortified city with tall and thick walls and complete defensive facilities.

As long as the soldiers work together, holding out for seven days is not difficult.

Zhang Song slowly shook his head, his expression solemn, and said in a deep voice:

"It's too late. By the time reinforcements arrive, Wei Yan will probably have already captured Baiguan City. By then, it will be too late to regret it." Upon hearing this, Yang Huai's brows furrowed instantly, like two volcanoes about to erupt, his face full of displeasure and doubt.

He suddenly straightened up and loudly retorted:
“Prefect Zhang, Baiguan City is a formidable city in eastern Shu, with walls as solid as iron and defenses in perfect order. I, Yang Huai, have commanded troops for many years; surely I have the ability to hold it for seven days?”

"Don't boost the morale of others while diminishing your own!"

Looking at Yang Huai's angry yet determined expression, Zhang Song gave a wry smile and patiently explained:
"General Yang, I am not questioning your ability to command troops. You have made great achievements in Shu and your reputation is far-reaching. I have always admired you very much."

"But what you don't know is that the catapult Wei Yan built was incredibly powerful!"

Yang Huai felt a chill run down his spine, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.

Yang Huai was slightly taken aback, then widened his eyes and asked:
"Is this the Divine Thunder Cannon that Xiao He forged? Could it be that Wei Yan forged this very thing?"

Zhang Song nodded solemnly and affirmed:

"Indeed, the catapults built by Xiao He were already incredibly powerful, and the ones Wei Yan built this time were improved upon, making them even more formidable."

Yang Huai couldn't help but shiver, a chill running from the soles of his feet straight to his head.

Although he was in Sichuan, he was not completely unaware of news from the outside world.

He had long heard about the various rumors surrounding the Divine Thunder Cannon.

Now that Wei Yan is secretly building such a terrifying weapon to bombard the walls of Baiguan City, how could he not be terrified?

"Is this thing really as powerful as the rumors say, capable of easily breaching city walls?"

Yang Huai still harbored a sliver of hope, wishing that the Divine Thunder Cannon was merely a name without substance and posed no real threat to Baiguan City.

Looking at Yang Huai's expectant yet worried eyes, Zhang Song nodded and said firmly:

"To be honest, I have personally witnessed the Han army's trebuchet drills, and the power of those things far exceeded my imagination."

"I guarantee with my life that the seemingly sturdy walls of Baiguan City will absolutely not withstand the fierce bombardment of these catapults!"

Yang Huai's original confidence and self-assurance vanished like smoke at this moment.

His face turned very pale, and his eyes revealed deep worry.

He could almost see Wei Yan's divine thunder cannons bombarding the city from the outside, the city walls collapsing under the impact of the boulders, and the terrifying scene of the Han army flooding into the city like a tidal wave.

Seeing Yang Huai's distraught appearance, Zhang Song continued:

"Think about it, if you had followed your previous strategy, you would have led some soldiers to Chengdu to fetch reinforcements, but before you even arrived in Chengdu, Wei Yan would have already breached Baiguan City."

"At that time, the eastern gateway of Shu will be wide open, and the Han army can drive straight in, head straight for Jiangzhou, and take Chengdu."

"The land of Shu is in grave danger! The people of Shu will be plunged into misery!"

Zhang Song became more and more excited as he spoke, and his voice grew louder and louder, making Yang Huai feel uneasy.

After a long pause, Yang Huai took a deep breath and gritted his teeth:
"No matter what, I, Yang Huai, as a general of Shu, have been deeply indebted to the King of Shu. I am determined to defend Baiguan City to the death for the King of Shu! Even if it means living or dying with Baiguan City, I will not hesitate!"

"I will never let Wei Yan's conspiracy succeed, and I will never let Shu fall into enemy hands!"

Looking at Yang Huai's resolute expression, Zhang Song secretly admired him. He lowered his voice and said mysteriously:

"General Yang, I have a plan that can not only defend Baiguan City, but also drive Wei Yan's army out of the gorges, so that they will never return!"

A hint of joy flashed in Yang Huai's originally dim eyes, as if he had seen a glimmer of dawn in the darkness.

"Prefect Zhang, what brilliant plan do you have? Speak quickly! As long as we can protect Baiguan City and the Shu region, I, Yang Huai, will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Zhang Song leaned slightly closer to Yang Huai, a sly look on his face, and said:

"General Yang, do you still remember when I led three thousand soldiers into Sichuan? These three thousand soldiers are now lying in wait in the Han camp."

"They outwardly submitted to the Han army, but in reality, they were my hidden agents. My plan was this..."

As he spoke, Zhang Song explained his plan in detail.

Yang Huai listened to Zhang Song's plan, his eyes gleaming with excitement, and he nodded repeatedly.

"This plan is brilliant. If it succeeds, it can truly drive the Han army out of Shu and let them know the might of our Shu soldiers! However..."

At this point, a hint of hesitation and worry appeared on Yang Huai's face:

"If this plan fails, the consequences will be unimaginable. Not only will these three thousand soldiers be wiped out, but Baiguan City may also fall into an even more dangerous situation. At that time, we will be doomed."

Yang Huai fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

Zhang Song slightly raised his head and sighed deeply:
"I have given you the plan without reservation. If General Yang insists on playing it safe and holding out, I have nothing more to say."

His gaze was fixed on Yang Huai, his eyes revealing a seriousness, as he continued:
"But General Yang, have you ever considered that if Wei Yan successfully captures Baiguan, it will be like a sharp blade piercing straight into the heart of Shu? At that time, the people of Shu will be plunged into misery and suffering."

"Is General Yang capable of bearing this responsibility?"

These words were like a thunderclap in Yang Huai's ears.

Yang Huai was shocked; the last trace of hesitation in his heart was instantly shattered.

A flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and began pacing back and forth in the hall, weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

After a moment, Yang Huai finally stopped, took a deep breath, as if he had made some great decision:
"Now that things have come to this, the situation is extremely critical. If we continue to seek stability, we will only be waiting to die. We have no choice but to take a risky approach. Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, I, Yang Huai, will never back down!"

He abruptly raised his head, his gaze fixed firmly on Zhang Song, and shouted:

"Alright, let's use Zhang Biejia's plan to fight the Han army to the death, defeat them, drive out Wei Yan, and protect the peace of our Shu region!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Song smiled with satisfaction.

So, carrying with him the plan he had discussed with Yang Huai, he returned to the Han camp.

Upon returning to the Han camp, the two immediately began making arrangements according to the plan.

...

Two days later, night fell like a giant black curtain, slowly enveloping the entire earth.

In the dead of night, all was quiet except for the faint sound of the Yangtze River flowing through the silent night sky.

On the Yangtze River south of Hanying, a huge multi-story ship was quietly moored.

The ship was brightly lit, and Wei Yan and Xiao He stood side by side, their eyes looking towards the camp, revealing a sense of confidence.

Zhang Song stood behind them with a confident smile on his face, as if everything was under his control.

Just then, a patrol boat shot towards the warship like an arrow.

The soldiers on the sentry ship stood at the bow and shouted:

"Reporting to General Wei, reporting to the Grand Marshal!"

"Five thousand Shu troops have left Baiguan City and are rapidly approaching my main camp!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Yan's face showed approval, and he praised:

"Grand Marshal, Deng Shizai is truly a man of great talent! His plan has indeed worked, and Yang Huai has been lured out." (End of Chapter)